


First Date

by RagingLethargy (raginglethargy)



Series: The Date Series [3]
Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: Fluff, Getting Together, M/M, Season/Series 03, post-318
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-16
Updated: 2020-05-16
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:06:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,515
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24220297
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/raginglethargy/pseuds/RagingLethargy
Summary: The thing is, they kind of left it open-ended. Buck said “Let’s do it” and moments later Christopher was running up to them asking if he can have another piece of cake.
Relationships: Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV)
Series: The Date Series [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1741876
Comments: 6
Kudos: 259





	First Date

The thing is, they kind of left it open-ended. Buck said “Let’s do it” and moments later Christopher was running up to them asking if he can have another piece of cake. Eddie was all prepared to say no when Buck gets there first. “Buddy, I think you’ve had enough sugar, don’t you think?” And instead of pushing like he would with Eddie, Christopher just giggled like he knew Buck was right.

As Eddie watched the two of them disappear into the house to get some water Eddie wondered when Buck became his co-parent.

Eddie had taken Christopher home soon after that and as a result they hadn’t figured out when this supposed date was actually going to happen.

It’s been three days and Eddie’s starting to think he imagined it.

Buck hasn’t treated Eddie any differently, hasn’t asked about the date, nothing. Maybe he forgot?

It’s after their shift on the third day that Buck approaches Eddie in the parking lot. "So we ever gonna go on this date?"

Eddie breathes out in relief. “Yeah. We have Thursday and Friday off. What about Thursday night? I can see if Abuela can take Christopher.”

“The whole night?” Buck asks. It sounds a lot like flirting.

“Sure. So I don’t have to wake Christopher up to take him home.”

“Yes. How sensible.” Buck steps back, apparently satisfied with his answer. “I’ll pick you up at eight." Buck gives him a breathtaking grin, raising his eyebrows.

Eddie's heart lurches. “I was the one who asked, I should plan it.”

“Nah. Took you three days to follow up. If I hadn’t said anything, how long would it have taken you to actually follow through?”

Eddie doesn’t know the answer to that, and Buck takes his silence as surrender.

“Exactly. I’m taking you to one of my favorite places in the city.”

Eddie raises an eyebrow.

Buck grins. “Oh yeah, I’ve got hook-ups, moves you’ve never seen.” Then he’s gone, driving off and leaving Eddie’s mind reeling with the implications of his words.

* * *

Thursday arrives sooner than Eddie expected, even if it also felt like it was taking forever to get there. He spends the afternoon helping Christopher with his homework and playing video games as a reward after. Then he takes Christopher over to Abuela’s in time for dinner. It smells delicious, but he has other plans.

He makes it back home with enough time to shower and spend way too long choosing a shirt. When he hears a knock on the front door Eddie wonders who it is because Buck has his own key and hasn’t knocked in over a year.

But it is Buck. Standing with a shit-eating grin on his face and hands clasped behind his back. He’s wearing grey slacks and a maroon cashmere sweater that hugs him in all the right places and when did Eddie start salivating at the thought of Buck’s body? He’d suggested the date because he’d realized they’d been dating without actually dating for a long time. Not because he was _thirsting_ after Buck or anything.

Eddie’s starting to think he’s been sublimating his desire and now it’s all surging to the surface. This could be a problem.

Eddie doesn’t have enough time to think about that, though, because suddenly Buck is brandishing a single red rose from behind his back, eyes laughing. Eddie shakes his head and then they’re both laughing.

“Hey, you asked for a date, you’re getting a date,” Buck says and Eddie relaxes. This is Buck. He can do this. It doesn’t have to be a big deal.

* * *

Except that Buck’s kind of making it a big deal. Eddie shouldn’t be surprised, though. Buck does everything big. The restaurant he takes them to is tucked into the Hollywood Hills. A place Eddie has driven past countless times, but never thought much of. It’s warm and low-lit, mostly candles and twinkle lights. Quite possibly the most romantic place Eddie’s ever found himself in, including the countless dates he’d taken Shannon on.

Buck makes a show of pulling Eddie’s chair out and he rolls his eyes, going for a punch on Buck’s shoulder that turns into more of a caress, which shuts Buck right up.

“Was Christopher okay going to Abuela’s?” Buck asks once they’ve ordered a bottle of merlot to share.

“Oh yeah. He’s always excited to get a real home cooked meal.”

Buck laughs at that. “You know, I’m available to come over and whip something up whenever.” His eyes meet Eddie’s and there’s a hint of uncertainty there, like maybe he’s overstepped.

“You’re always welcome, Buck. Christopher loves you. And I suppose I could stand to see you more if that means some good home cooking.”

Buck chuckles, but the smile doesn’t reach his eyes.

Eddie’s brow furrows. He’s seen this before, but has always glossed over it. Talking isn’t one of Eddie’s strong suits, he knows that. Everyone does. So he usually takes advantage of the understanding offered to him by the people he loves. But if they’re going to do this, Eddie’s not going to make the same mistakes he made with Shannon.

Eddie reaches for Buck’s hand. Buck’s eyes dart up from where he’d been staring a hole into the table. Eddie doesn’t blink when he says, steadfast, “You’re always welcome, Buck. I mean that. We both love having you over. There’s no way you could ever be overstepping because you’re a part of our family. And I’m not talking about the fire family. You’re a part of our unit. Christopher, me, you.” Eddie gestures around them. “What do you think this was all about?”

Buck looks away, hesitant. “Honestly, I wasn’t sure. When you asked me on a date it all made sense, but after…let’s just say I got lost in my doubts. Like maybe you’re just lonely. Or you meant that we should hang out just the two of us since it’s been awhile. I couldn’t let myself think what it meant in the bigger sense because I didn’t want to get my hopes up.”

“You weren’t sure if it was really a date and you still did all this?” Eddie can feel himself fall a little in love with Buck at that realization. Who’s he kidding, Eddie’s pretty sure he’s already in love with Buck and how has it taken him this long to grasp that this is exactly why he asked for the date. Because it’s been long overdue.

Buck shrugs. “I figured if I went big it could go either way. Romantic or just leaning into the joke.”

“I’d never ask you on a date as a joke,” Eddie rushes to say. He can’t have Buck spiraling down this path.

“No, I know that. I just meant—I wasn’t sure if you meant date in the same way I took it. Like, in the moment it felt real. But when I got home I started wondering if I’d been projecting what I wanted onto what you were saying.”

The waiter brings some bread over, but takes the cue they're not ready to order yet and disappears as quickly as he appeared. Eddie, having had the intervening time to garner more courage, leans closer to Buck. Time for some brutal honesty.

“You weren’t. I was just looking around at everyone we love and thinking about how they’re all going home with the people they love most in this world and realizing how much I wanted you to come home with us. How right that would feel. Honestly, I sometimes forget you don’t live with us. When you go home it feels wrong.” Eddie’s getting dangerously close to asking Buck to move in with him before the first course on their first date, so he stops while he’s ahead. He takes a bit of bread and dips it in the accompanying seasoned oil. "You want some?" he asks Buck.

Buck shakes his head earnestly. "I'm not making that mistake again." Eddie doesn't have time to figure out what he means before Buck’s mouth quirks up. “You know when Albert first showed up and you had everyone over? Maddie made me bring something because, and I quote, ‘It's what you do when somebody invites you to their house,’ and I told her I’m not really a guest at your house.”

“You’re not,” Eddie insists. He really needs Buck to understand that.

“That’s…really good to hear, Eddie.” They share a smile and a quiet moment which is broken when the sommelier arrives with their wine.

Once she’s gone, they raise their glasses. “To us. And our family,” Eddie says, enjoying the blush his words bring to Buck’s face.

The moment’s interrupted, though, by a yelp coming from a couple of tables over. Eddie looks over to find a woman grasping her date’s hand, face scrunched up in pain. Her date’s eyes are wide. “Oh my god, is she coming? Is this it?” Unable to answer, the woman just nods emphatically.

The man looks around helplessly at everyone staring at them. “Someone call 9-1-1! My wife’s going into labor!”


End file.
